Management of Patients at Risk of Ischemic Stroke With Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction in the Absence of Intracardiac Thrombus

Updated: July 02, 2026

 Cardiologist doing echocardiogram test of a senior male patient in heart clinic
  • Left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction (LVSD), defined here as reduced LV ejection fraction ≤40% or left wall motion abnormality, and is commonly found in patients with ischemic stroke.
  • Left ventricular systolic dysfunction is not uncommon in the ischemic stroke population with some studies showing between 5%- 25% with ischemic stroke in persons with a lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).
  • This scientific statement summarizes the latest evidence regarding the risk of incident and recurrent stroke in patients with LV dysfunction as well as best practice guidance regarding the management of this population after stroke.